Flexible shaft.



F. SCHMIDT & A. GRUNDMANN.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT. v I

APPLICATION FILED IUNE'IO, 1909.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

"UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT;

969,660. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 6, 1910.Appfication filed June 10, 1909. Serial No. 591,360.

To all wlwm 'it may concern: geous, for example, when driving rock andBe it known that we, FRANZ SCHMIDT and metal drills or when drivingpolishing disks f ALBERT GRUNDMANN, subjects of the Gerin works forpolishing marble, agate or man Emperor, and residing at Berlin,Gerglass, as special conduits were necessary for 5 many, have inventedcertain new and useful this purpose heretofore. I

Improvements in Flexible Shafts, of which In order that our inventionmay be clearly v the following is a specification. understood we willnow explain the same Our invention relates to flexible hollow withreference to the accompanyin drawshafts, and a primary object is toprovide ing in which several constructiona forms 10 a flexible shaftwhich is lighter and cheaper are represented by way of example.

to manufacture than those known hereto- In said drawing :Figure 1 is avertical fore. longitudinal section through one form of Flexible shaftsare already well-known our improved flexibleshaft, and Figs. 2 and pwhich consist of spiral wires of various 3 are like views of two otherforms in which .15 cross-section, e. g., round and square, wound theturnsof the spiral are held by exterior beside and over one anotheralternately, spiral bodies. I whereby it is intended to prevent theindi- Referring to the drawing, the faces a vidual wires sliding out ofplace. In these which prevent the wire spirals a moving'out, and similarflexible shafts, however, a pluof the plane of the turns or convolutionsof 20 rality of concentric layers of turns or conthe spiral may bearranged in turns 6' of a volutions contacting one another arenecesspecial spiral, as clearly shown in the forms sary in ordertoprevent the individual turns represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. As Fig. 1coming a art when the shaft bends, since shows, the faces 0 may" contactwith the the opene parts are no longer subjected to turns a both outsideand inside the shaft, 25 tension but to a bending strain, so'that the oronly outside the same as shown in Figs. shaft can easily be deformed ordestroyed. 2 and 3. In all cases the arrangement of In consequence ofthe layers of convolutions these spiral bodies I) of wedge-likecrossfilling up the entire cross-section of the section or havingconcave surfaces 0 against shaft such shafts are also very heavy andwhich the turns of wire a of the flexible 30 expensive. Ascompared withthese known shaft abut prevents the turns a which are shafts, theflexible shaft forming the subsupported articularly, as it were, beingject-matter of our invention is distinguished pressed out of the planeof the turns of the by the inner turns of wire which filled up shaftwithout the entire cross-section of the the cross-section of the shaftbeing super-. shaft requiring to be filled up with convo- 35 fluous,since the one or more spirals forming lutions of wire, whereby theshafts become the shaft support themselves by means of more flexible,lighter and cheaper and simultheir turns or convolutions against concavetaneously can also be used for conducting 0 or wedge-like faces arrangedcontinuously liquids or air. in the plane of the turns, so that theturns We claim: 4 of wire cannot move out of the plane of the 1. Aflexible hollow shaft, comprising in turns. The shafts made according toour combination a spirally coiled wire of'circular invention aretherefore considerably lighter cross-section, and a spirally coiled bodyhavn 00st onsi erably less to make thaning concave lateral facesabutting against known flexible shafts, and the individual each turn orconvolution of said wire. 45 turns of wire are perfectly secured from 2.A flexible hollow shaft, comprising in jumping out of place even whenthe shaft combination a spirally coiled wire of circular is bent sharplyand transmits somewhat cross-section, and a spirally coiled bodyhavgreat forces. ing concave lateral faces between the turns A furtheradvanta attached to our imor convolutions of said wire and abutting 50proved shaft is that it is hollow and conseagainst the outside and theinside of each quently, besides transmitting power, can turn orconvolution of the wire, 'as set forth. serve simultaneously forsupplylng air, liq- 3.. A flexible hollow shaft comprising in uids orlubricants which is very advantacombination a spirally coiled wire ofcircular cross-section, and a s irally coiled body havcross-section,substantially as shown, and for mg concave lateral aces between theturns the purpose specified.

or convolutions of said wireand abutting In testimony whereof, we afiixour signaiigainst ghehoutside of eachfturlilior convotures in-thepresence of two witnesses.- 6 ution 0 t e wire, asset ort 4. In aflexible hollow shaft comprising AN in combination a spirally coiledwire of circular cross-section, and a spirally coiled wire Witnesses:having two concave lateral faces receiving WOLDEMAR HAUPT, 10 the ajacent sides of the wire of circular HENRY HAsPmz.

DISCL-MMEB- w v 969,660.Franz Schmidt and Albert Gnmdaiann, Berlin,Germany. FLEXIBLE SHAFT- Patent September 6,1910. Disclaimer filedSeptember 26, 1912; g by the-assignee,'0laarles Fiecker.'Herebydisclaimsv The subject-matter of claims 1 and 3, except where theabutting. surfaces of the two wires meet and rest against each other fora considerable area, and the radius of curves of the two abuttingsurfaces are of substantially the same radius.

Also the subject-matter of claim 4, except where the two concave lateralsurfaces areof substantially the same radius.

[Oflicial Gazette, Octobi- Y, 1.912.]

Disclaimer in Letters Patent No; 969,660.

cross-section, and a s irally coiled body havcross-section,substantially as shown, and for mg concave lateral aces between theturns the purpose specified.

or convolutions of said wireand abutting In testimony whereof, we afiixour signaiigainst ghehoutside of eachfturlilior convotures in-thepresence of two witnesses.- 6 ution 0 t e wire, asset ort 4. In aflexible hollow shaft comprising AN in combination a spirally coiledwire of circular cross-section, and a spirally coiled wire Witnesses:having two concave lateral faces receiving WOLDEMAR HAUPT, 10 the ajacent sides of the wire of circular HENRY HAsPmz.

DISCL-MMEB- w v 969,660.Franz Schmidt and Albert Gnmdaiann, Berlin,Germany. FLEXIBLE SHAFT- Patent September 6,1910. Disclaimer filedSeptember 26, 1912; g by the-assignee,'0laarles Fiecker.'Herebydisclaimsv The subject-matter of claims 1 and 3, except where theabutting. surfaces of the two wires meet and rest against each other fora considerable area, and the radius of curves of the two abuttingsurfaces are of substantially the same radius.

Also the subject-matter of claim 4, except where the two concave lateralsurfaces areof substantially the same radius.

[Oflicial Gazette, Octobi- Y, 1.912.]

Disclaimer in Letters Patent No; 969,660.

IDISOLAmJ-BB- 969,660.Franz Schmidt and Albert Grundmann, Berlin,Germany. FLnxmLE Saar-r. Patent dated September 6, 1910. Disclaimerfiled September 26, 1912, by the assignee, Charles Fischer.

Hereby disclaims- The subject-matter of claims 1 and 3, except where theabutting surfaces of the two wires meet and rest against each other fora considerable area, and the radius of curves of the two abuttingsurfaces are of substantially the same radius.

Also the subject-matter of claim 4, except where the two concave lateralsurfaces are of substantially the same radius.

[ofiaial Gazette, October 1, 1912.]

